Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-10-11
INSANITY.
An Interesting Medical
Experiment.
ITS SUCCESSFUL RESULTS.
A Demented Man Restored to
Reason After Three Years
OF Suffering.
INSANITY.

One of the most remarkable and
interesting medical experiments con-
nected with the treatment of the in
sane is that reported from Deming,
N. NJ, and brief particulars of which
were received over the wires few
days ago. A HERALD reporter had
the good fortune to encounter in town
gentleman who was actually pres
ent at the time and from him OBJ
tanned more minute particulars than
have been already made pub
lie. The subject of the experiment
was Frenchman known as Louie
who Sup to 1884 had been
employed in various clerical capacities
in the mining towns of Mexico
and had achieved reputation of be-
ing skilled accountant and smart
and reliable business man. Some
marital festivities were given at a
small town called Corallitos in May
1884 and during the evening row en-
sued in which an Indian crazy with
drink struck Louie a fearful blow on
the forehead with q piece of rock.
The results were disastrous. Louie
fell to the ground bleeding from
his terrible wound and when medical
aid arrived it was found on
examination that the from
tai bone had been completely
crushed and was pressing on the
brain. For a long time the patient
hovered twixt life and death, but his
robust constitution stood him in good
stead, and he finally emerged from
his sick-room physically we'll but men,
tally wreck. He was unable to pur-
sue his avocation, and the next three
years were passed wandering hope
lessly round the southern country,
subsisting on the charity of his friends,
who, remembering him in his prime.
were ever ready to help him to what
extent lay in their power. His sad
case attracted the attention of DR..
Stovall young medical enthusiast
who came to settle in Deming and
who having previously performed
several successful experiments con-
nected with caputal injuries decided
to subject Louie to an operation which
might possibly lead him from the
mental darkness in which he was
existing and restore to him the light
of reason. Louie was placed under the
influence of chloroform and then the
doctor proceeded to trephine the
skull at the spot where depression
showed the origin of the trouble.
The operation was an interesting one,
and when the surgeon finally re-
moved a piece of bone about an inch
in diameter he found that the inner
easement was broken in several places
and the pieces were lying loose on
the brain. These he carefully re-
moved and then dressed and band
aged the orifice, after which the
wounded man was allowed to rouse
himself from the influence of the OPT
ates. AS consciousness gradually re-
turned they noticed his hands
twitch convulsively and suddenly
opening his eyes wide and looking
around he said, "Where is the Indian
that struck me? ?" 1t is curious fact
that the idea uppermost in his brain
was one connected with the expert
ences of the night three years previ-
GUS, and it seems as if the wire OF
reason had been reconnected with the
exact spot where it had been snapped
so long.
Since the day of the operation the
patient has continued to mend rapidly
and there is every indication that when
he leaves the DOCTORS hands in few
weeks he will be in full possession of
all those mental faculties which have
laid nuiaspent an 1ono